It might not be popular and you could point out that it is damaging the International game BUT I think any player that moves to the NRL should no longer be eligible for international selection

Yes. That means no more Bateman but we need to disincentivise players from leaving the game simply because the Aussie's pay more

Players now go the NRL and appear to jump ahead in the selection process no matter how well they play at international level. This has got to stop otherwise it simply encourages players to go

When Gildart goes that means he will no longer be an international and lines have to be drawn. It has to become another consideration when players depart SL

Pride in the shirt is one thing, but these lads have bills to pay and families to keep just like anybody else, except they have a much shorter career to do it in. How can you blame any of them for going to the NRL for 2,3,or 4 times the wages they can get over here.? And I don’t think they should be prevented from playing for their country just because they are trying to provide better for their futures.
The International team should be picked on the ability / form of the player, and not depend on where he plays his rugby.

Bills to pay?

Doesn't everyone have bills to pay?

Are you saying that they are such inept imbeciles incapable of working outside of playing rugby that they have to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible? If money was their obsession (like you appear to be claiming) then why not play football? Far more money and less chance of injury. The fact is players can make good money (and better than those in history). This is the "greed mentality" . Literally if someone won the lottery they would be complaining that it wasn't as big as the previous win. That is the culture and mentality we have in society that we can "never have enough"

As for the International game. It is f*ecked as it is and as fans we all know this. Not making changes because players want to earn money or we don't have enough talent pool are just excuses that have been trotted out without exception or proof that those selected in their place wouldn't perform as well

Put it this way. If Samy Kibula had got to the Gold Coast, should he have the right to be considered for an International place based on the league he plays in rather than how well he actually played which DOES appear to be the current selection criteria. or are you ignoring that fact?

I'm a better fan than you
Because I don't "Boo"!!!

Yes I bloody know transfer fees do not count on the salary cap for those illiterates that need it explaining to them because they assume everyone is as thick as they are

Problem for any England/Lions side is that the squad depth is not that deep. There were players in that squad who are not international level or were played incorrectly.

Philbin why was he in the squad would not get bench for us

Hill 2 years out of date

Hall as above

Coote (good at SL but easy to play on the front foot and not even tested at international level.

Jack Hughes are we that desperate at centres

Gildart decent but not international quality would not get a game for Tonga, OZ or NZ.

Williams for me not international quality due to no real kicking game. When Powell got injured for us our kicking game went not existent. Lets hope NRL sorts him out or he could be 1 year and playing for Wire the season after.

Hastings why was he playing if they were playing split halves. Best player in SL and Bennett killed his strengths.

Trueman why for 1 game 2-3 years ago.

Players who should have gone 3 saints players injured Roby, Makinson and Percival. Why was Sam Tomkins missing was he injured????. Watkins injured and George Burgess.

It was a very weak squad that was selected. Ironically up here the international game is on life support whilst in the South its in recovery due to Tonga. We did not lose due to the players in the NRL we lost as some players in SL are not international class players. Only real bright spark is that the Australians are in as bad a position as England after Tonga ran over them.

It might not be popular and you could point out that it is damaging the International game BUT I think any player that moves to the NRL should no longer be eligible for international selection

Yes. That means no more Bateman but we need to disincentivise players from leaving the game simply because the Aussie's pay more

Players now go the NRL and appear to jump ahead in the selection process no matter how well they play at international level. This has got to stop otherwise it simply encourages players to go

When Gildart goes that means he will no longer be an international and lines have to be drawn. It has to become another consideration when players depart SL

Pride in the shirt is one thing, but these lads have bills to pay and families to keep just like anybody else, except they have a much shorter career to do it in. How can you blame any of them for going to the NRL for 2,3,or 4 times the wages they can get over here.? And I don’t think they should be prevented from playing for their country just because they are trying to provide better for their futures.
The International team should be picked on the ability / form of the player, and not depend on where he plays his rugby.

Bills to pay?

Doesn't everyone have bills to pay?

Are you saying that they are such inept imbeciles incapable of working outside of playing rugby that they have to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible? If money was their obsession (like you appear to be claiming) then why not play football? Far more money and less chance of injury. The fact is players can make good money (and better than those in history). This is the "greed mentality" . Literally if someone won the lottery they would be complaining that it wasn't as big as the previous win. That is the culture and mentality we have in society that we can "never have enough"

As for the International game. It is f*ecked as it is and as fans we all know this. Not making changes because players want to earn money or we don't have enough talent pool are just excuses that have been trotted out without exception or proof that those selected in their place wouldn't perform as well

Put it this way. If Samy Kibula had got to the Gold Coast, should he have the right to be considered for an International place based on the league he plays in rather than how well he actually played which DOES appear to be the current selection criteria. or are you ignoring that fact?

What a load of claptrap.!!!
I never suggested that any of them are imbeciles. They are full time professional sportsmen, so it is difficult to carve out a decent career for after they finish.
As for being obsessed with money, they have an average career span of 14/15 years only, so of course they want to earn as much as possible in their playing days.
And play football instead for more money, really !!!. As if anyone can just decide to be a top class soccer player. Get real.
As for the international game, if you read my post properly, I have already said that players should be selected on ability/form, irrespective of which league they play in.

It might not be popular and you could point out that it is damaging the International game BUT I think any player that moves to the NRL should no longer be eligible for international selection

Yes. That means no more Bateman but we need to disincentivise players from leaving the game simply because the Aussie's pay more

Players now go the NRL and appear to jump ahead in the selection process no matter how well they play at international level. This has got to stop otherwise it simply encourages players to go

When Gildart goes that means he will no longer be an international and lines have to be drawn. It has to become another consideration when players depart SL

I think that’s a good point, because the Aussies don’t select players who come to play in SL.
And if British/England players aspire to play for their country there should be some sort of deterrent for them leaving SL for the money in Oz

Josie, did we not have centralised contracts for GB players a few years ago. I am sure that KFC, Farrell and couple of others were paid from the RFL to stop them jumping ship to Oz or RU?

if we are serious about the game over here and the international game could we not look at that again. i appreciate its a tricky one as there would have to be a line drawn somewhere or a criteria for the payment, plus would that payment meet the salaries being offered in Oz or RU thesedays as their caps are way over and above what gets paid over here?